If the Applicant already has a lawyer, then the Applicant can be considered “Viable”. If they don’t have representation, then for the purpose of obtaining an advance payment, what makes a Viable Applicant?
One of the descriptors of a “Viable Applicant” is an ordinary person. The Applicant just needs to be someone that, because of no fault of their own, now finds themselves in an unfamiliar situation. They don’t have to be a saint and they don’t have to be articulate. They just have to be forthright in telling their story.
These are people that are trying to find their way through a legal swamp not of their own making. Their knowledge of the law and courtrooms is usually very limited or non-existent and their encounters with lawyers (if they have had any) have probably not been positive experiences…just your average, typical person.
But there are two qualities that are essential in the Viable Applicant: Belief in themselves and belief in their case (both of which produces persistent patience). If you, as the independent Case Broker, believe that either of these qualities are missing in the person that is applying for the advance, then the chance for a successful outcome in the short term (an advance payment) and the long term (settlement or judgment) is not very high. You need an Applicant that believes “They’ve been done wrong!” and want to do something about it.
The advance company can only rely initially on what they perceive from your transmitted information of the Applicant and, unless the case is obviously a loser, they will probably give them a pass based on your words. Then, however, the advance company relies on their direct dealings with the Applicant. In other words, a non-viable Applicant may probably get by the advance company’s first look at the case, but they won’t make it very far in the whole process.
But if they are a Viable Applicant, what do they look for next?